WashWire Daily Brief: GOP Sets Goals

A Morning Rundown From the Journal’s Washington Bureau for Friday, Jan. 31

Though several of President Barack Obama‘s State of the Union proposals have already been blocked, one appears to be making headway: House Republican leaders released a long-awaited set of principles Thursday that will steer the chamber’s immigration debate, Kristina Peterson and Laura Meckler report in today’s Journal. http://on.wsj.com/1a6LyON

Speaker of the House John Boehner

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

The outline, which comes seven months after the Senate passed a comprehensive bill last summer, calls for a path to citizenship for young people brought to the U.S. as children and offers a form of legal status to many others currently in the U.S. illegally. It includes ideas intended to appease both Republicans and Democrats in the House, and Republican lawmakers gathered at a private retreat Thursday seemed to react positively to the outline’s fundamental concepts.

These principles allow us a glimpse at Republicans’ strategy going into midterms and the next presidential race. On the one hand, many Republicans believe the party will need to rake in a larger share of the Hispanic vote if it wants to win back the White House in 2016. But focusing on immigration overhaul could shift attention away from the troubled rollout of Obamacare and put Republicans back under scrutiny.

–Rebecca Ballhaus

BONUS EARLY HIT: It clocked in at a hefty 7,000 words, yet the State of the Union address that President Obama delivered is as interesting for what it left out as what it contained. He made no mention of the Keystone XL pipeline project, one of the most politically contentious decisions that will hit his desk this year. He was silent on whether he would issue an order protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination by federal contractors. And he didn’t have anything to say about the billions of dollars sloshing through the electoral system. In Washington Wire, Peter Nicholas considers the reasons these issues didn’t make the cut. Read his full post: http://on.wsj.com/1dS7QyL

JERRY SEIB: REPUBLICANS MAKE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

After President Obama’s fifth SOTU address, Republicans have stolen the spotlight in proposing their own legislative agenda. Washington Bureau Chief Jerry Seib describes the preparation of Republican positions on key issues as they begin a new year of legislation. VIDEO:http://on.wsj.com/1fpkwBz

WSJ STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS

WAXMAN RETIRES: It’s the end of an era. Rep. Henry Waxman, a 20-term House veteran who helped forge major health, safety and environmental laws, will not run for re-election. Mr. Waxman was one of the last of a group of liberals elected in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, and he’s the seventh House Democrat to announce his retirement. Ten House Republicans have said they won’t seek re-election. Janet Hook reports. http://on.wsj.com/1a6L5Mt

CHEMICAL WEAPONS: Liquidating Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal by midyear is becoming an increasingly less realistic goal. The U.S. blamed Syria’s Assad regime Thursday for intentionally delaying efforts to remove the country’s chemical weapons for destruction, in a sharp turnaround from its recent tone. The chemical-arms standoff could pose a challenge to President Obama, who threatened military strikes against Syria last year. Naftali Bendavid and Adam Entous report. http://on.wsj.com/1a6LjDz

COMMUTING SENTENCES: The Obama administration plans to commute more sentences for nonviolent drug offenders serving long prison terms, in an effort to reduce racial disparities in criminal sentencing and tame the growing federal prison budget. The decision opens the door for thousands of offenders to apply to get out of jail early. In 2010, Mr. Obama dramatically reduced the sentencing gap between crack cocaine and powder cocaine, which had led to a stark racial disparity in lengths of prison terms due to the different customer bases for the drugs. Andrew Grossman reports.http://on.wsj.com/1a6LoXN

NSA DIRECTOR: The president plans to nominate the Navy’s cybersecurity chief to be the next director of the NSA and commander of the U.S. Cyber Command, a post we can’t say seems terribly enviable in the current climate. Administration officials worry the confirmation process for the chief, Vice Adm. Michael Rogers, will be a bruising one, as lawmakers will likely seize the opportunity to criticize NSA surveillance operations and seek more information about them. Siobhan Gorman, Julian E. Barnes and Adam Entous report. http://on.wsj.com/1a6Lu1D

–Compiled by Rebecca Ballhaus

WHAT WE’RE READING AROUND THE WEB

Ronald Brownstein argues in National Journal that if President Obama really wants to make a difference by acting without waiting for agreements with Congress, he can best do so not by striking out in new policy directions but by “executing two major initiatives he’s already launched: health reform and regulation of the carbon emissions linked to climate change. Apart from immigration, no other domestic priority plausibly within Obama’s reach will affect America’s future—or his legacy—as much as whether he can finish what he’s started on those fronts.” http://bit.ly/1cCnNNS

A group of California public school teachers is suing to stop the state’s largest teachers union from collecting dues from nonmembers. Their argument: The requirement that they pay such dues represents a violation of their First Amendment rights to free speech. Newsmax’s Andrea Billups reports. http://nws.mx/1cCnRx7

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg appears to have found a new outlet for his energies: The United Nations plans to name him the organization’s special envoy for cities and climate change, and an announcement from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon could come as early as Friday. Reuters’s Michelle Nichols reports. http://reut.rs/1cCnSkS

Liberal groups are “leaning on” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to join Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in declaring publicly her opposition to President Obama’s request that Congress pass so-called “fast track” legislation that ensures trade agreements get quick votes with limited ability for amendment once they are submitted for ratification. Progressives are concerned some House Democrats might go along with Speaker John Boehner “and move something that puts pressure on Reid and the Senate,” writes Michael McAuliff on Huffington Post. http://huff.to/1cCnXF9

Charles Krauthammer offers advice to Republicans accused of waging a war on women: “Why go wandering into the psychology of female sexuality in the first place? It’s ridiculous. This is politics. Stick to policy.” http://wapo.st/1cCo1og

MINOR MILESTONE

About 40% of Americans polled approve of Ben Bernanke‘s performance during his eight years as chairman of the Federal Reserve, versus 35% who disapprove and 25% who have no opinion, according to a Gallup poll. His predecessor, Alan Greenspan, was more popular in 2006, when he stepped down: 65% approved of his work, 21% disapproved and 14% didn’t have an opinion. http://on.wsj.com/MzKkkT

TWEET OF THE DAY

@indecision:Henry Waxman is retiring from Congress to spend more time in hopeless gridlock with his family.

About Washington Wire

Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.